Friday, April 27, 2012

Tomorrow’s final draft picks will once again showcase an array of team colors, jerseys, famous names, and numbers. And standing among the action will be one unassuming man in his own team’s “jersey” – a navy blue, Salvation Army suit!

But not to worry, you won’t see Salvation Army officers battling it out at professional football games this fall (unless we’re ringing the bells outside the stadium for kettle donations!).

Monday, July 11, 2011

Former Buffalo Bills and Chicago Bears All-Pro NFL guard Ruben Brown will kick off his cross country motorcycle run this Friday, July 15, to raise funds for and awareness of The Salvation Army.

As part of the 11th annual Ruben Brown Motorcycle Run, Ruben will travel from the East Coast to West Coast and back again while making pit stops at our community programs along the way.

Having grown up in Salvation Army programs, Brown understands that limited financial or material means does not have to limit someone’s opportunity to achieve something great. That’s why his Ruben Brown Foundation is committed to supporting youth development through athletics, cultural, and educational programs.

We’re excited that he’s using this creative opportunity to help support other kids who are benefitting from Salvation Army programs, just like he did!

You can support Ruben’s Motorcycle Run by donating online at www.RubensRun.com, or give a $10 gift via text message by texting the word “RUN” to 80888.* Ninety percent of all funds donated will go to support the work of The Salvation Army; the remainder will subsidize transportation expenses associated with the Run. Plus, donations will stay in the local community in which it was raised.

Be sure to follow Ruben’s progress at www.facebook.com/rubenbrownfoundation and www.twitter.com/rubenbrownFDFN.

[Ruben Brown]
Ruben Brown, center, is using his motorcycle to make some noise for Salvation Army programs across the country. Photo: The Salvation Army Buffalo

And keep your eyes and ears open – if you hear a rumbling down the street, it may just be Ruben rumbling his way through your neighborhood. Check the schedule below to see if he’ll be visiting a Salvation Army center near you:

* A one-time donation of $10 will be billed to your mobile phone bill. Messaging and data rates may apply. Donations are collected for The Salvation Army by mobilecause.com. Reply STOP to 80888 to stop. Reply HELP to 80888 for help. For terms, see www.igfn.org/t

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

The Kansas City Chiefs are proving they have big hearts for tornado survivors. The team is donating $35,000 to disaster-relief efforts in Joplin, Missouri and Reading, Kansas.

They’re also partnering with us at The Salvation Army to host a bottled-water drive at Arrowhead Stadium. If you’re a Kansas City resident or live nearby, this is a great way for you to help too. Here’s what you need to know:

All bottled-water donations will be distributed by The Salvation Army at our four mobile feeding kitchens stationed in Joplin. The Chiefs are also accepting financial donations for Heart-to-Heart International for disaster recovery efforts in Joplin and Reading.

We hope you’ll come out to show your support! The Salvation Army would like to offer a huge thanks to The Kansas City Chiefs, their broadcast partners, and the public for all the great ways you’re assisting storm survivors. If you have any questions about the event, learn more at kchiefs.com.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Did y’all hear about former Michigan Wolverines football coach Rich Rodriguez? After being fired, he turned what could have been a really crummy situation into a great opportunity for his community.

Looking to move on by parting with his significant wardrobe of Michigan-related items (432 to be exact), Rodriguez cleaned out his closet and donated the clothes to a local Salvation Army thrift store in Wayne, Michigan.

The Salvation Army decided to auction off much of the gear and raised nearly $13,000 thanks to the hundreds of bidders who showed up for the event!

It turned out to be a great final play for the former coach. Read more here at The Detroit News.

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Tonight is the official NFL opening kickoff of the 2010 season. The New Orleans Saints will be going head to head with the Minnesota Vikings! Will you be watching?

There’s one man in particular who I wonder if he will be tuning in – Harold Williams of Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Name doesn’t ring a bell? I’d be surprised if you did recognize it. But ask Saints wide receiver Robert Meachem, and he’ll know who you’re talking about.

Before Meachem was a Super Bowl champion, a rising star at the University of Tennessee or even raising eyebrows at Booker T. Washington High School, he started his football career as a “Mabee Babie.” That is, during his elementary school years Meachem played football at The Salvation Army’s North Mabee Boys & Girls Club in Tulsa. Harold Williams was his coach.

A lot of time and events have passed since Meachem ran the Mabee field as a 4th grade football hopeful, but he still calls his old coach every now and then wanting to know how the Mabee Mustangs are doing. A pro football player keeping tabs on his elementary-years team? I know, it sounds strange, but then again, you wouldn’t be so surprised if you knew Coach Williams.

Williams left a paid position at a private high school to volunteer at The Salvation Army’s North Mabee Center where he’s been coaching for 22 years now. It was a significant change going from a privileged, private high school to a community center in what was known as one of Tulsa’s “tougher” neighborhoods, but Williams’ relationship to his team has always more resembled that of a loving parent than merely a coach.

Many times when talking to me about his team, Williams equated the boys to family. “It was like I had 40 sons. When dads were missing, I had no problem stepping in,” he said. “[My team] always said, ‘Coach loves us.’ I’d say, ‘I hope you know me and like my face because I’m going to know you the rest of your life. I love you because you are.’ ”

Over the decades he’s poured much of himself into the boys who have passed in and out of the football program. Even when the predominantly black team was pelted with racial slurs from their competitors, Williams has taught his Mabee Mustangs the importance of good sportsmanship and following the rules. He’s scrounged up pads and bought out of his own pocket mouth guards for his entire team when they couldn’t afford the most basic football equipment. He’s thrown them pizza parties and planned field trips to local museums, again on his own dime. He’s taught them skills that have made them one of the most noticed and successful football programs in the area today and helped many go on to be notable college and professional players. (Including the Dallas Cowboys’ Felix Jones, Philadelphia Eagles’ Tony Brooks and his brother Reggie Brooks of the Washington Redskins, Denver Broncos’ Marcus Nash, NY Giants’ R.W. McQuarters and the list goes on…)

The lessons and example taught by Coach Williams are lifelong and life changing. His sacrifice has inspired many kids to reject the destructive temptations of the streets and spurred them on to reach their true potential, witnessed by many unknowing NFL and college football spectators.

So it’s not hard to see why Robert Meacham gives Williams a ring once in awhile or why other “Mabee Babies” drop by the Center to watch and assist with practices.

If you do catch the NFL kickoff tonight, enjoy the game and celebrate the official start of the season! But regardless of which team you’re rooting for, take a moment to appreciate the sacrifice of Salvation Army volunteer Harold Williams. Tonight’s game and many others would be a different story if it weren’t for his investment in young athletes.

Friday, June 11, 2010

If you’ve ever played on a sports team or been involved in athletic activities, you understand what a positive role sports play in healthy physical, emotional, and social development. Plus, being active is fun!

Recreational activities are an important part of The Salvation Army’s mission in serving others and provide wonderful opportunities to support and build up youth and communities as a whole. With summer just around the corner, The Salvation Army and several professional sports role models have been busy making sure kids have a chance to get active and play! Here are just a few examples taking place right now across the country:

Tomorrow (June 12) in Durham, NC, NFL quarterback David Garrard will host his second annual Air It Out Football & Cheer Camp. Garrard’s foundation has enabled children from The Salvation Army to attend at no charge! In addition to Garrard, several NFL players and college cheerleaders will be personally facilitating the camp.

Dallas Cowboys running back Felix Jones

Dallas Cowboys running back Felix Jones and The Salvation Army each pledged $25,000 to the North Mabee Boys & Girls Club in Tulsa, OK during an MVP Weekend camp for local children, which included a “Sound Mind, Sound Body” football camp for high school players. Participating campers even got personal playing tips from Jones, as well as New Orleans Saints wide receiver and Super Bowl champion Robert Meachem.

The United Football League (UFL) Nighthawks in Omaha, NE donated $25,000 to the Salvation Army Kroc Center to establish two mentoring programs for local children. Through the Mini-Hawk program, Nighthawk players will have the opportunity to mentor children ages 12 and under. Through a second program geared at older kids, teenagers will have the opportunity to meet and interact with members of the Nighthawks team.

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Also, players from the Los Angeles Lakers and NBA Commissioner David Stern kicked off the new NBA Cares Learn & Play Center at The Salvation Army Los Angeles Red Shield Youth & Community Center. The Lakers played with and encouraged the kids at the opening event. The Center, newly furnished with books and computers, will provide a great place youth to develop physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

Friday, May 21, 2010

We’ve been posting a lot recently about our partnering with hunger relief organization Numana, Inc. to host community meal packing events around the country for Haiti earthquake survivors. Yes, even four months after the disaster, much help is still needed and will continue to be needed for a long time.

Today, May 21, and tomorrow, May 22, volunteers will gather in Philadelphia at Drexel University to help The Salvation Army prepare 1 million meals. We we will ship and distribute the food to the 20,000 displaced Haitians that we are caring for in Port-au-Prince. We’re looking for 5,000 volunteers to make this possible, so if you want to get involved, register online at www.SalvationArmyPhiladelphia.org. We need your help!!

And we think it’s pretty cool that the Philadelphia Eagles are partnering with us for this event! This afternoon Eagles guard and Haiti native Max Jean-Gilles, Eagles linebacker Akeem Jordan and Eagles employees will be volunteering in our effort to provide nutritious meals to earthquake survivors.

Come out and lend a hand for a few hours while making a big difference in the lives of those in need. Here are some important links for more information including the event’s address and important FAQ: